Monday, October 8, 2007

Today’s Response
Middle Tennessee State University

Rule of thumb

Dr. Beverly Butler will present “Rule of Thumb—A Historical Overview of Domestic Violence” at 4 p.m. tomorrow, Oct. 9, in Dining Room C of MTSU’s James Union Building. The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by MTSU’s June Anderson Women’s Center in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Butler works at Live Life, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Nashville. Live Life, which was formed in 1994 as a battered women’s shelter, recently has been restructured. “I want to show that the response to violence is due to centuries of behavior not only accepted but, in some cases, supported by law,” Butler says. “Society brings about the change.”

For more information, contact the June Anderson Women’s Center at 615-898-2193.
jawc@mtsu.edu

It’s college night in America.

The MTSU-hosted Rutherford County College Night will be held from 6-8 p.m. today, Oct. 8, at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304B West Thompson Lane. This event is free and open to the public. Any students and their parents or guardians from public or private high schools in Rutherford and surrounding counties are welcome to attend. Representatives from more than 50 colleges, universities, community colleges and other organizations from across Tennessee and the south have requested booth space. Seminars will be given on “Financial Aid 101: A Guide to Financial Aid and Scholarships;” “HOPE Scholarship;” and “Choosing the Right College Choice for You.” The event is endorsed by the Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Students can ask their guidance counselor for details or call Heather Arrington, an assistant director of admissions at MTSU, at 615-898-2111.

How I paid for my semester abroad

Students who never thought they could afford a study abroad opportunity have a special monetary resource available to them. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad for up to one academic year. The deadline for spring 2008 is tomorrow, Oct. 9. Eligible students include but are not limited to: students with high financial need, community college students, students from diverse ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, and adult or non-traditional students. Applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time of application and can not be studying abroad in a country currently under a U.S. Department of State travel warning or Cuba. The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and administered by the Institute of International Education.

For more information, contact Dr. Carol Ann Baily, director of Off-Campus Student Services.
cabaily@mtsu.edu

TR EXTRA

BONJOUR!--Any student whose summer was no more exciting than spending endless hours lying by the pool frying to a crisp can prepare now for an unforgettable summer 2008. There’s no time like the present to register for the annual general education study abroad program in Cherbourg, France, which will run from June 2 to June 27. At this beautiful port town in the Normandy region of northwest France, students will experience the history, art and culture of the area. “With the general education program, a student can spend four weeks in Cherbourg and in Normandy, and they can begin studying French while they’re there if they choose to, but they don’t have to already know any French,” Dr. Anne Sloan, Assistant to the Provost for International Education, says. Contact Sloan at 615-898-5091 or asloan@mtsu.edu or Jennifer Campbell, Director of International Education and Exchange, at 615-898-5179 or jjcampbe@mtsu.edu.

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING--WMOT-FM’s annual membership appeal and on-air fundraising drive continues through Oct. 18. It will benefit MTSU’s nonprofit public broadcasting radio station. This year also marks the station’s 39th anniversary and its 25th year as an all-jazz formatted station. “Those who listen to and enjoy WMOT must support it financially,” says Keith Palmer, the station’s director of development. “Pledge so that radio in Middle Tennessee keeps swinging.” WMOT-FM is located on the radio dial at 89.5 and online at http://www.wmot.org. Contact Palmer at 615-898-2800 or kpalmer@mtsu.edu.

PINK AND PURPLE POWER--The June Anderson Women’s Center at MTSU is distributing purple ribbons suitable for wearing in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “The numbers are alarming and the violence continues to spread across the United States,” says Terri Johnson, director of the Women’s Center. Since October also is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the center is making available pink ribbons to promote the need for early detection and more research. “Being a woman is the major risk factor for breast cancer,” Johnson says. “It is crucial to have early detection and screening to lower your risks.” For more information, contact the Women’s Center at 615-898-2193 or jawc@mtsu.edu.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE FISH FRY--The MTSU Blue Raider Baseball Grand Slam Fish Fry & Cajun Gumbo will be held today, Oct. 8, at the MTSU Tennessee Livestock Center. Proceeds will benefit MTSU Baseball. Enjoy country-fried whole catfish with all the trimmings and Cajun gumbo. Entertainment will be provided by the Russ & Becky Jeffers Country Band from Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg. Last year, more than 600 pounds of catfish and 50 gallons of gumbo were prepared. Children under age 6 will get in free. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door and are available at the Middle Tennessee Ticket Office located at Gate 1A of Floyd Stadium and through the Blue Raider Athletic Association office. Go to http://www.blueraiders.com. For group tickets in bundles of 10, call Baseball Coach Steve Peterson’s office directly at 615-898-2984 or send an e-mail to pfones@mtsu.edu.